The 1-year-old is recovering after authorities say a pursuit reached 97 mph before ending in a crash in Fox Point.
FOX POINT, WI — A Wisconsin mother is speaking publicly after her young son was found injured and alone inside a crashed SUV following a high-speed police pursuit that authorities say reached 97 mph. Prosecutors accuse the boy’s father, 32-year-old Steven Pokorny, of fleeing the wreck and leaving the child behind.
The Aug. 27 crash ended a pursuit that began in Glendale shortly before 3 a.m. and continued into Fox Point, according to police and a criminal complaint. Officers later found the child, identified by his mother as Diesel, standing barefoot in the back seat of the damaged Chevrolet Trax amid shattered glass. The boy was taken to Children’s Wisconsin for treatment. His mother, Kaylynn Brown, told WISN this week that he is now smiling, running around and playing as he continues to recover.
Brown said she was at work when the pursuit and crash happened and did not know Pokorny was driving around with their son. After watching body-camera footage showing officers finding the injured child, Brown said, “It hurts, especially hearing the cries from the body camera footage.” She said the experience has changed how she plans to protect herself and her family and that she intends to seek a restraining order against Pokorny.
According to the criminal complaint, a Glendale officer spotted the white 2022 Chevrolet Trax near Bayshore Mall and learned through a records check that its registered owner had a felony full-extradition warrant from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. When the officer attempted to make a traffic stop, prosecutors say the driver accelerated away. The pursuit reached speeds of up to 97 mph before officers eventually lost sight of the SUV.
Police were called minutes later to a crash in the 7400 block of North Boyd Way in Fox Point. Authorities said the Chevrolet had crashed with its windows broken and airbags deployed. Officers found the toddler standing in the back seat without shoes. The criminal complaint said an officer observed about 20 fresh cuts, along with injuries to the child’s head, back and other areas. Brown said her son had cuts on his legs and scrapes after walking around the damaged back seat.
Prosecutors allege Pokorny left the vehicle after the crash and ran from the area. Officers from several agencies searched nearby properties, and a police K-9 eventually tracked him to a yard near North Boyd Way. He was taken into custody. Body-camera video released after the crash showed officers responding to the damaged SUV and tending to the child before he was taken for medical care.
During an interview with investigators, Pokorny denied that he had been driving and claimed another person was behind the wheel, according to the complaint. He also disputed that he abandoned his son, telling investigators that he had attempted to unbuckle the child but could not take him with him. Investigators noted in court filings that the passenger-side airbag had not deployed, which they said was consistent with the vehicle not detecting someone in the front passenger seat. The allegations against Pokorny have not been proven in court.
Pokorny is charged with fleeing an officer causing property damage, first-degree recklessly endangering safety, child neglect causing bodily harm, child abandonment and obstructing an officer. Prosecutors are also seeking repeater enhancements on the charges. He made an initial court appearance Sept. 1. The criminal case will determine whether prosecutors can prove the charges against him.
Brown told WISN she has not spoken with Pokorny since his arrest. For now, her attention is on her son’s recovery and keeping her family safe as the criminal case moves forward. Police and prosecutors have not announced a final finding on all circumstances surrounding the pursuit and crash.
Author note: Last updated September 4, 2026.